Last week (in 2014), I flew on Air Canada rouge for the first time. They began operating on July 1, 2013 with a start-up fleet of two Airbus A319 aircraft and two Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. By the end of this month, they’ll operate a total of 27 aircraft including 19 Airbus A319s and 8 Boeing 767-300ERs.
At launch, their planes serviced a network of 14 routes flying from Toronto and Montreal to Europe and the Caribbean but they’re now up to a total of 52 routes from Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver—including 11 to Europe.
I recently flew them roundtrip from Los Angeles to Calgary in both classes. Here are 10 things you need to know about flying Air Canada rouge:
1. Same check-in as Air Canada
Although Air Canada rouge is a separate airline from Air Canada, you still check-in for your flight as if you’re flying Air Canada.
2. Cool flight attendant uniforms
All the Air Canada rouge flight attendants that I came across were young and attractive, and sporting funky uniforms that included a gray pin-striped trilby hat. The look was created by Maybelline and Redken and their burgundy Fluevog shoes were designed and manufactured by Canada’s own Fluevog Shoes. Rob Lowe famously made fun of their uniforms but I like them—especially the hat.
3. The planes aren’t brand-spanking-new
I was expecting Air Canada rouge’s planes to be brand-spanking-new since the airline is only a year old, but they’re actually just converted Air Canada planes. According to Renee Smith-Valade, Vice President of Customer Experience, “the aircrafts Air Canada rouge operate (the Airbus A319 and the Boeing 767-300ER) have been transferred from Air Canada’s fleet. Air Canada rouge aircraft are restyled inside and out. They have modern charcoal and burgundy cabin interiors, featuring new Slimline seats with a streamlined profile, and branding accents throughout the cabin (e.g. bulkheads, curtains) and onboard service elements (e.g. tray liners in Premium rouge). Both aircraft types sport a sleek white, red and burgundy livery that clearly establishes Air Canada rouge as part of the Air Canada family.”
4. There are no built-in entertainment systems
Although Air Canada rouge’s planes don’t have Air Canada’s seatback entertainment systems, they do have a very cool app that you need to download BEFORE getting on the plane. Air Canada rouge aircraft are all equipped with Player, a next generation in-flight entertainment system that streams unlimited live entertainment to customers’ personal electronic devices. Customers should bring their own fully-charged laptop or iPad, iPod, or iPhone and download the latest Air Canada app (from the Apple App Store). For those with a laptop, make sure you have Adobe Flash Player installed. Availability on other platforms like Android is coming this fall.
5. You can rent an iPad
If you don’t own a tablet, you can rent an iPad on-board for $10 (free for Premium rouge passengers). They hand them out after takeoff.
6. There are no electrical outlets
Rouge planes don’t have electrical or USB outlets to charge your devices so be sure to have everything fully charged before getting onboard.
7. Coach seats are TIGHT
I flew on rouge’s A319 and the seats are really tight in coach. The A319s are configured with 3×3 seating and they only have 29 inches of pitch (distance between the back of your seat and the back of the seat in front). In comparison: American Airlines has 30 inches, United has 31, Virgin America has 32 and regular Air Canada has between 31-35. The good news is rouge does have 18-inch wide seats, which are wider than American’s and Virgin America’s. FYI: On rouge’s other style of aircraft, the 767, which flies longer distances, they offer 30 inches of pitch in economy.
8. You can buy food
Just like on Air Canada, you can buy food—including pizza—on rouge on flights in coach. But on their flights to Europe, they do offer complimentary meals and non-alcoholic beverages. FYI: Food pic is from Premium rouge.
9. Premium rouge (UPDATED on May 19, 2016)
Air Canada rouge let me know that after I took my original flight that they improved their premium product on their Airbus 319 aircraft. The premium cabin in Air Canada rouge’s fleet of 20 Airbus 319 aircraft has been converted from 3×3 seating configuration with a blocked middle seat to two side-by-side larger seats in a 2×2 configuration. This seating offers the same or more space than equivalent seating on Air Canada rouge’s Boeing 767 aircraft. They also increased carry-on space throughout its Airbus A319 fleet by 30 per cent with the installation of new overhead bin doors – dubbed “pillow doors” because of their curved shape – which allow carry-on items to be stowed more efficiently. In addition, they also have full power charging capacity with a 110-volt power plug and a high-powered USB port at every seat.
10. They write the flight number on landing cards
This was a first for me…When the flight attendants handed out the landing cards for Canadian immigration, the airline and flight number were already filled out. When I asked the flight attendant if they always do this they said they try to on all rouge flights. That’s a nice touch.
Because Air Canada decided to pack in way too many seats on this plane I would only take Rouge again on a short flight or if I was upfront in Premium Rouge. How about you? Have you flown Rouge?
Point # 7 re “tight” seats is an understatement. If you’re a 6′ or taller, you cannot fit comfortably in the seats on their 319 aircraft. If you’re tall (I’m 6’4″), you simply will not fit. When I expressed concern about seating before my first flight, I was told by Rouge to pay extra for their “Plus” or “Premium” options. Then, Air Canada management said that Rouge’s horrible reputation re seat comfort was because their customers were too stupid to understand what “leisure” carrier seating is supposed to be. Fail.
No comments in the article re pricing. Based on my flying out of Calgary, they’re selling a discount carrier product (think Allegiant or Spirit, definitely not like main Air Canada) but pricing it at a hefty premium (identical to their non-discount competitors). You don’t get what you pay for.
Costs to upgrade to “Premium” at time of check in, in my experience, are ridiculously high — particularly given that what they call business class on the 319 is really just extra legroom with a free meal.
Use caution when booking any Air Canada flight to what might even be remotely classified as a vacation destination. So far this year, they’ve surprised untold numbers of customers by “Rouging” mainline flights that they’d already purchased — resulting in a significant downgrade in service, zero compensation in return (unless you choose to cancel outright) and often major changes to flight schedules. If your pre-existing AC reservations get Rouged, it will be painful.
Wishing I had read this last year before I flew from Toronto to London Heathrow with Rouge, really dreadful I upgraded both ways thinking this would make for a comfortable trip , couldn’t be more wrong and it was not cheap. Both flights were the two worst I have ever experienced , in many years of travel with different airlines and countries. I am not tall but was really uncomfortable even with upgrade, the seats are too narrow and the arm rests do not lift up and are a solid block between seats . No in seat/flight entertainment , why would I wish to hold an ipad for the journey? The crew were really inexperienced , with zero people skills. I asked when we would be landing and was told soon ( I felt like a child asking are we there yet) …..had to smile 1.5 hours later we were still in the air,Flights with Rouge should come with a warning ‘at your own risk’I wrote to Air Canada and the reply was simply sorry to hear you didn’t like it.
Interesting uniforms! I’m sure it’ll do better than what I have experienced in Indonesia. I went on the plane and the seat I was in was broken. The tray infront of me was broken. The next seat I went to had a broken arm rest. I’m not saying that these problems are going to bring a plane down, but damn it’s a little worrying to fly when regular maintenance isn’t done!
That aeroplane food has also made me hungry. Sadly.. I need to eat!
I agree completely with Ken Kai’s comments regarding the condition of the aircraft interiors. I flew last year from YYZ to LAS return on one of their two A319’s at the time. When I tried to raise the headrest of my seat, it came off in my hand and maintenance had to be called. Fortunately we had not departed the gate at the time
From what little I have read, it appears “Rouge” is little more than Air Canada’s attempt at running a business without unions, and lowering costs. If this is the case, then where’s the cost advantage for the customer–I don’t see it? Smoke and mirrors…
Rouge employees belong to the same union as Air Canada main line flight attendants.
WRONG!
I’m an fa for Rouge. We belong to CUPE (same as Air Canada FAs).
All I can say about Rouge is that I got Rouged and will be flying anything but Air Canada. I’m also a Super Elite and was disgusted with Air Canada’s underhandedness in selling Air Canada flights and then changing them to Rouge without notifying the customer. I paid for a Rolex, but got a Timex instead. Never again on Air Canada will I book as you don’t know what you will be getting.
Super Elite never flying Air Canada again??? BS. Have fun on WestJet or Transat.
This I have suspected myself. WE were in Europe off season coming back in January we got a very tight seat, both of us are small stature, not overweight. From Toronto to Ottawa we got the Sunwing flight, what a difference in the size of the seats! Imagine scrunched up from Zurich to Toronto on the regular AC flight and got a Sunwing very comfy seated aircraft from Toronto to Ottawa. I am inclined to fly Lufthansa. I am more and more disappointed in AC and I could go on and on about the lost items that was promised to us and was never found although we just vacated the airplane!
I was trying to edit the above but there is no edit button. What I want to say that I am sure AC changed the aircraft and gave us a Rouge aircraft coming back from Zurich in January. It is a shame.
Worst airline experience I have ever had. I agree with the comment above. I actually cancelled my ticket and am using westjet on the return flight, and I can’t stand that airline either. They’re getting on my ‘forever banned’ list. In the future I will fly westjet in Canada and AA to the US.
There is only one thing you need to know about flying on Air Canada Rouge……DON’T!!!
I flew with them from Manhester to Toronto and it was hell. Seat pitch is far too small for a transatlantic flight. Shame, as I quit liked everything else.
Agreed that this is complete bull. We purchased “business class” tickets only to discover upon receiving our confirmation that it was a Rouge flight – why are they priced the same? There should be differentiated pricing given that I’m just getting a slightly better economy seat. Air Canada is the worst.
Hate the hats. I find it looks awkward and gets in the way of the attendants’ tasks. The attendants have to hold their heads at weird angles just to look at you from under the brim. They then end up taking them off for in flight work and to keep their hair in place you see these childlike colourful headbands on women who are trying to pull off a polished look. On the aircraft I rode, all the attendants are super young and many inexperienced. They had to call in help several times for simple tasks. Please drop the hats and the ageism Air Canada Rouge.
DITTO!
As an AC super elite that avoids Rouge as much as possible (ie to get to vegas I now fly to la and take southwest or united to LAS), I unfortunately have flown rouge many times. I was on one of their first flights, before they even had the chance to upgrade the old Air Mexicana planes with their interior, and it was the worst flight experience I’ve ever had. While the flight staff have slowly improved, it still boggles my kind at what a poor experience Rouge offers.
I agree with one of the above comments – this is simply AC to lower their union costs by hiring non-unionized flight crew. I understand they tried to also include the pilots in this, but backed off due to fear of backlash, so the pilots are regular ac union pilots.
Two things are extremely disappointing for me:
1) none of the cost savings are past on to the customer. Its one thing getting bargain basement service/seat pitch/etc when you pay bargain basement prices, but Rouge isn’t cheap.
2) there’s no reason for the service to be as bad as it is. It has taken over 45 min to get a drink in their premium / business section. Boggles the mind.
I fly over 150k miles per year, and the first time I actually lost my patience on a flight was in this airline, when I was stuck in the last row and someone kept reclining their seat (it actually hit me every time).
I write this in hopes ac takes notice (I have given them feedback dozens of times). My wish is that they:
A) train their flight staff properly
B) lower their economy prices to be on par with transat and other charters
C) offer choice by not converting entire flight routes to Rouge.
Bottom line, I will never fly Rouge economy again, and suggest you don’t unless you get a really low price and be prepared for a terrible charter-like experience.
Where did this non-unionized idea come from?
Rouge FA’s are represented by the same CUPE local as the mainline FA’s. They are certainly unionized.
i agree and have made a few trips every year since the 60s but now fly westjet. the airbus is way beyond what anyone should expect. i would sooner pay a few more dollars and not feel like a sardine
Two chances of me flying with Air Canada, in particular their Rubbish, er, I mean Rouge product. None and none.
The seats are not only tight they are terrible. I fly air canada a lot and i will not fly rouge again. my knees are in the seat ahead of me and i am only 6 feet tall. they sell this seat at the same rate as competitors so we will fly united from now on unless it is a regular a/c plane. If you want to get some work done on the plane…don’t even think about it. Terrible product…but i guess AC get 12 more seats of profit.
Do not travel on this plane.
I didn’t now anything about Air Canada Rouge until I got on a plane from LA to Vancouver and suddenly felt incredibly claustrophobic. I’m a frequent traveller and we travel with kids. I couldn’t understand how my three year olds legs could easily kick the seat in front of him,just when he move slightly around in his seat. Then I realized that air canada had launched this separate airline. It’s deceiving cause right up until you get on the plane you think it is a regular Air Canada flight. Then you sit in your seat and the guy in front reclines and he’s literally in your lap. Did I mention, I’m 5’4! I felt to sorry for the 6ft guy beside me. Thank god he had the isle seat but he could not have been comfortable. I know understand why there are so many articles in the news lately about passengers getting into fights on planes because they recline their seats. I wonder if there is a correlation?! Luckily my husband was behind me, but I didn’t have the heart to recline it on him given that I knew that if I was uncomfortable with the space, he definitely would be too.
I think anyone who flies this airline should kindly not recline their seat, out of curtesy for the person behind. But what garbage to even have to suggest that!
Hi:
The entertainment section write-up in “10 things to know about flying Air Canada rouge” says, “For those with a laptop, make sure you have Adobe Flash Player installed.” Does this refer to a laptop running Microsoft Windows? If yes, how do you access the Rouge system – just turn the PC on, or?
Any help appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Did you get an answer to this? Wonder if the AC Rouge player will work on a Microsoft Surface?
thanks,
Just came off a Rouge flight and the player didn’t work for me on my Surface Pro 4 – it only played trailers, but not the full length movie. It has something to do with the DRM plugin that is also required. In short:
– Make sure that you have the Adobe Flash Player installed and enabled
– Make sure that you also install and explicitly enable the Digital Rights Management plugin that seems to be the cause of the non-playing movie.
The web-based inflight help is completely insufficient to help resolve this and I didn’t bother to ask the flight attendants for tech assistance.
Oh well – better luck next time – if in fact there is a next time.
I am also a Super Elite flying more than 125K a year and agree with everybody that Air Canada Rouge is garbage. Fly to Vegas a lot and not so much any more directly specifically because of these Rouge flights. I modified my trip to fly to PHX and rent a car to drive over and sure enough, PHX is now rouge as well.
Air Canada Rouge – you are killing yourselves with the seats you offer and the lack of room. I don’t mind the entertainment being used on individuals tablets or phones and that makes sense but some things you have done such as the lack of leg room does not. Did you test this solution with any consumers and understand their needs or is this purely a finance equation not taking into account the people that pay your bills. Yes but cutting leg room you get more seats on a plane but that doesn’t mean anybody on the plane is happy. You’ve done a great job at scaring customers and as with myself I will start flying Westjet and Westjet is starting to offer you up the same status that you have with Air Canada so not too many downfalls to switch to different flights and routes.
WestJet is way better than Rouge
I know tell my listeners and guests (I own a travel agency) that I will pay more to fly WestJet than AC. While I find the AC service on the aircraft similar (though often not as friendly) It is the way WJ handles customer concerns. Had a recent situation where there was no food left on the flight. When I returned, a five minute phone call got me a 20.00 credit as I had paid for Plus seats. WJ empowers their people to solve issues. We have to call both all the time, WJ wait times are minimal in comparison to AC. As far as Rouge, I am flying them for the first time and called to ask them why the have the most complaints online and in person of any airline. They make the purely charter airlines look good. Explanation was sad and what we all know. Will go on my Trans Atlantic in a few weeks and trying to be positive. It is only 8 hours of my life so hopefully it won’t be too awful.
Yeah, just booked a flight from Newark to Venice with a switch of planes in Toronto on what I thought was an Air Canada flight, only to find out it’s Rouge. Never hear df about it, sounds scary… At least going back is on Swiss Air, hope that’s halfway decent!!!
OMG…..Rouge is just awful. Between May and night before last I flew 10 times between LA and Canada (Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton, Calgary etc.) and each time it has been worse than before. The space between my nose and the seat in front of me was 11.5 inches!!!!! Really! My luggage has been so beaten up and rummaged through that I don’t trust them. The flight from Calgary was almost comical except that our flight took off at the exact time we SHOULD have been landing in L.A.. We sat on the plane for over 2 hours with only a sip of water offered. I finally told the stewardesses to STOP being so Canadian by apologizing for the airline. The flights into LAX are ALWAYS LATE.
Wow… So is Aeroflot… Your comment doesn’t really say much.
For point #6, which type of aircraft’s do not have an electrical outlet? I recently flew Rouge on the 767, and there were power outlets between the seats, underneath the tray table to the left. Only in middle and aisle seats.
On the 767-300 West Jet aircraft their seat pitch is 31 inches for economy, rouge is 30 inches. So when comparing the seats I’m not sure how people are saying Rouge isn’t as good as westjet its an INCH.
Yes–I have to agree 100% with all the negative comments. I fly Air Canada regularly–once a month–Montreal to Toronto and Toronto to Phoenix. I think Air Canada has simply re-configured their existing aircraft to squeeze more passengers in to the plane. I have never complained before about any Air Canada Flight until I discovered Rouge. I am 5ft 8 and my knees touch the seat in front of me. On A 5 hour flight to Phoenix from Toronto–this is not fun—you just want to get there and get off. The seat reclines–maybe 2 inches?? So if you do log in to their weird entertainment system with your Ipad–it is right in your face as the seats are just too close to the one in front–same with eating any meal–its plain uncomfortable.
May a 1 hour Flight from Montreal to Toronto–you can put up with this–but not any longer.
Air Canada is going to lose –Big Time on this Venture.
I have already used WestJet a number of times on these flights that I take every month. Old Planes–But very comfortable—with Satellite TV–and a crew that is very professional—but will always make you laugh and have fun though the boring safety instructions—they have a great time with the passengers–even in coach.
Thank god WestJet just this year have regular convenient flights from Toronto to Phoenix—because–I am on them now. I have also advised friends about Rouge–one in particular always flys Air Canada–after telling about Rouge–he booked WestJet–Direct to Phoenix–he is 6 ft–and would be very uncomfortable on Rouge
If I cant Get WestJet –I have options to and from Phoenix- US AIR–Delta–American Airlines and United.
I would rather take a quick 1 stop flight now–than book Rouge–Direct
Question for Air Canada Rouge—what is the point of getting 2 or 3 more rows of seats–when eventually you will have 5 rows empty- because of unhappy customers–and the rest- that are onboard–unhappy customers. As you can see–everyone is already shopping around.
Air Canada–very bad idea—were rated #1 –but are headed for last place now
Super Elite? Where did you get the idea that they are non-unionized?
They are CUPE members just the same as the Mainline FA’s
I love what you guys are up too. Such clever work and coverage!
Keep up the awesome works guys I’ve included you guys to my blogroll.
Those stupid hats and their repeated use of the word “Rouge” made me never want to travel with them again. Everything else was terrible but the hats and attempt at branding were too much for me.
I was rouged as well and am also 6’4″. My back is still killing me. I travel AC for the perks of being loyal. I was primarily Westjet or anything but AC for a few years but decided to try them out again. It was very good until I booked and Air Canada flight and ended up on Rouge. I hadn’t thought about it until know but where is my discount for the change. If I am “Rouged” once more then I am done with the bast#$ds. It was truly aweful.
Oh no! Your back is STILL killing you from sitting for a few hours? I think your issues run deeper than just an airline seat. Air travel is a privilege not a right, you should have done your research before booking. It’s your own fault.
Why the attitude? This happened to me a year ago. I’ve never been on a flight before where I physically did not fit in the seat (I’m 5’11”), so while I ‘did my research’, I didn’t check the legroom since it’s not been an issue before. After my 3.5 hour flight, I arrived in good time to go and see people for a few hours, but instead decided to go to the hotel and ice my knees that had bumped into the seat ahead for all that time.
This has nothing to do with ‘privilege’ vs ‘right’. It’s a question of quality of service vs cost. And a surprise downgrade seems like a form of breach of contract.
So yes, I won’t make the same mistake again, and it seems that means ‘no Air Canada, over 1.5 hours’ if any non-rouge flight can be turned into a rouge.
Not entirely sure why anyone would give like what Dailyflyer dished out unless they were somehow affiliated with Rouge. I am super elite and have been for years. I am also 6’4″ 220lbs and have been “Rouged”. Premium is like economy on a real plane so for the exorbitant upcharge, it’s just not worth it. I was eating when the person in front reclined into my lap and had my entire meal rifled at me at high speed! I went so far as to write an email complaining about how horrific the flight experience was, but also to complain that there are just no options to book a non-rouge flight to those destinations unless I book on other airlines. Perhaps sensing that I was simply going to leave, status be damned, they gave me a $250 credit as an apology. I was shocked but then I realized that they must be losing customers in droves to offer up $250 and I didn’t even ask for anything, just that they offer one flight per route that was non rouge for those of us that simply can’t fit into their Liliputian seats. Anyway, might be worth an email, you never know. :-)
I love your sense of humor! Great coments!
Are you knutz? When anyone buys something there are minimum reasonable expectations based on past experience. When you buy a bag of milk do you not expect it to come in a container?.. How would you feel if you paid for it and then the clerk pulled out a hose and started dumping it? ‘Everyone who shops here knows you’ve got to bring your own bucket.’ You’re paying for this, it’s not a gratuity and you should get (within reason) what’s expected.
Sorry, I thought we might be limited in ‘size of post’. Rouge is clearly not meeting any reasonable expectations except their own. Ignoring the other “reduced” services, when a person who is not over-sized can’t comfortably fit in the seat they’ve rented, IMHO that borders on fraudulent. What’s next?.. Will they provide you with the leather cap & goggles for a small $10 charge – Oh, by the way, we’ll also give you bilingual instructions on how to spin the prop and pull the chocks when the pilot is ready for take off.
are there any good reviews on air canada rouge?? I thought it would be a better option than airtransat but now I’m reconsidering. I also had issues with air transat and how tight the seats were!
anybody has any good reviews on air canada rouge? I chose air canada instead of airtransat as I had a crappy experience on airtransat as well (their seats r horrible!). what are people’s positive experiences with air canada, if any
I love AC…. But rouge sucks… Stay away…
i guess i’m doomed. i booked from montreal to rome on july 17 .boeing 767-300er rouge
My mom just arrived up from Bahamas on Rouge. She always books AC but said was surprised to see the Rouge plane show up. My mom is turning 80, and about as big as my leg. We have to turn the fans off in the house so she does not blow away.
When I met her in Toronto the first thing she told me was how terrible the seats were for space.
Im just sitting down to book a YYZ to NAS flight, and decided to see what this Rouge was all about. Im over 6 feet and I have to tell you Im getting a much more warm and cozy feeling to book with WestJet. They are basically the same price. I agree WJ is friendlier, and the seating was acceptable.
If this is AC discount airline, where is the discount going????
Is there a plug for ur iPad and that kind of stuff
No power on Rouge. But it doesn’t matter as if the seat in front reclines you cannot work anyway. Take a sleeping pill.
take westjet, i have flown all over the world for over 50 years and air canada used to be my preferred airline. now i will fly any alternative i can find. a 2 hour flight in the space they now allow is far too uncomfortable. i would not even consider a longer flight
rouge employees are union but compensated at much lower levels than mainline Air Canada staff…except pilots who resisted the pay decrease because they bid/fly both rouge and AC routes and exercised more bargaining power than the ditzy 20 year old cabin crew hired by rouge.
All the things people say about how rouge is a downgraded “discount” product in everything except ticket prices is true! The thing that is most annoying is that Air Canada has taken entire routes away from mainline and classed them as rouge. Now if you fly certain “sun destination” routes (e.g., YVR to LAX or YYC to Phoenix) and want to accumulate Air Canada status miles you have NO CHOICE but to be treated like an excursion customer. The further spread of this rouge rash to European routes really makes AC a second-class airline.
Good for WestJet in offering gold and silver tier rewards to air canada altitude elite members. If they do it again this year for those who missed the cut-off in 2014 they will grab even more North American business away from Air Canada who seems to think that Canadians will just put up with paying more for less on rouge!
Rouge is the worst flying experience ever. The seats are so uncomfortable and aren’t fit for flights over a few hours but, of couse, they do get used for 5 hour flights. I dread having to use Rouge and there is certainly no cost saving to the customers despite the lowered service standards. Who cares about their uniforms? Give the customers better service and forget their cute little hats. Air Canada should be ashamed to provide this low class service to their customers.
Flew Heathrow to Montreal on Air Canada and service was excellent. Returned Toronto to Dublin on Air Canada Rouge – awful. i didn’t know my flight was a rouge flight as I’d booked my flights with Air Canada. I had an iPad with me but didn’t know about their app (as i thought I was on Air Canada) and had no inflight entertainment for a transatlantic flight. Food was OK, annoyed that alcohol was only for purchase and the seats are tight.
Second year in a row flying rouge from yyc to Venice (ac to yyz or yul, then rouge to Italy). I’m not sure what the hate is about. Tickets are $600-700 less than I used to pay for ac flights to Italy.
Service is about the same as ac. Not great compared to Delta for example (recently flew to shanghai, great service and super cheap upgrades to premium economy). I fly ac 2-3 times a month out of yyc. The only thing keeping me loyal are the perks.
If wj ever figures out a ff program, I would switch right away. What makes me mad is that ac getting government handouts cost us Canadian airlines, where service was really good.
I’m flying LAX-VCE and return ROM-LAX in the fall. After reading all the awful Rouge reviews re tiny seats I paid almost $200 to upgrade to “preferred” exit row aisle seats.on four flights. I’m 6’4′ and I would like to be able to walk off the jetway after a 15 hour flight.
rouge dont operate those routes
Don’t count on more room with preferred seats. My wife and I are both tall so paid for preferred seating to Venice. Only two preferred seats left on Boeing 767-300 was 27A and 27C on the bulkhead next to restrooms. I’ve had bulkhead seats before that had legroom … but not these. Sitting straight up in seat, legs bent at 90 degree angle, our toes were touching the bulkhead … impossible to straighten out legs at all. Impossible to get any sleep with stream of people using the bathroom and people hovering around your seat waiting to use the bathroom. This was our worst flight experience for a long flight ever.
all accurate except…..yes you can charge your devices, I did while I was on the plane (regular seating) it’s just hard to see the plug, it’s in front of you and rather low, I kind of had to feel around for it.
I first got Air SCROUGED about 1 year ago and I still fume thinking about having some poor guy behind me involuntarily massaging my lumbar region with his kneecaps for almost 6 freaking hours!! And I keep wondering just how much did this rebranded TRASH cost in order for these corporate snakes to provide us with this sorry @$$ disservice?! And now these rats at Air Canadamn want to scRouge me on my next winter trip to Barbados where as in times past I would have been flying in business class in the cabin with executive pods and lay flat seating.And of course there is no reduction in pricing: SURPRISE! All that I have left to say is; SCROUGE YOU AIR CANADAMN SCROUGE YOU!!!
Thanks to all for the reviews. They only confirm what I have been hearing. I would be afraid to fly this airline and in their planes. I will book other airlines at any cost to avoid be rouged and scrouged (as one person so cleverly stated).
True the seats are not 100% comfortable, but it’s rare to get comfortable at 38000ft up there, just a little reminder to those who don’t fly as much. if you are 6foot and more book the first seats in economy or the overwings more legroom. I have travelled a lot with lufthansa, birtish airways (europe flights) and even westjet and the space is the quite the same.
The app is great! i dont have to touch those dirty broken screens that i can see shit because it’s poor resolution, i have my own ipad and when i dont have it, well itS not a 10$ who will break my bank account.
The hats? really the hats really bother you that much? poor flight attendants who have to wear them when it’s 30degrees out there, be a little respectful i don’t think it’s their choice to wear those hats that you were proudly wearing a couple years ago.
everytime i take Rouge i always get a good service, they are kind and make sure I enjoy my flight because they know how “comfortable” the seats are. they are young and energetic.
You don’t like rouge? don’t fly them, if you do stop complaining you are probably not the first asshole that complains about the plane and the ugly hats. Go fly westjet turquoise who is a copypast of ROUGE. or transat with their hungover pilots. Good luck to everyone and dont forget security comes first in an aircraft not your extra leg room…
From a passenger who was on a Vegas flight yesterday and is a bit tired of hearing people complain.
Thank you SE100, nice to read one good comment. My girlfriend and I will be flying Rouge in 12 days to Vegas.
Those seats you recommended are classified as premium seats that you pay $90 more for. We selected to do that and were placed in the very seats you suggested … first row behind bulkhead & bathrooms. We had seats 27A and 27C on Boeing 767-300. I’m 6′ tall and I’ve had bulkhead seating before and could not touch the bulkhead with my legs stretched out. These seats are actually the worst seats on the aircraft. Sitting straight up in the seat with knees at 90 degree angle, your toes will touch the bulkhead. There is no way you can stretch out at all. Much better to take normal economy seat with only 1 carry-on so you don’t have to put one under the seat … at least then you can stretch out your legs a little. Do not pay extra to upgrade your seat to the bulkhead seats. SE100 must work for Rouge. It wasn’t the worst flying experience I’ve every had, but it was close.
Hi SE100 – question for you … have you ever upgrade to Rouge Premium!6 If so, is it worth it? thanks
AVOID AVOID AVOID
All I can say is this is one of the worst long haul flights I have ever had air Canada should be embarrassed by them,secondhand aircraft,secondhand service need I go on……if your offered this airline by your tour operator DECLINE it and ask for another airline.
I think that anyone who has written anything good about this airline must work for them and are trying to keep there jobs………
AIR CANADA ROUGE YOUR A DISGRACE
Personally, I’m completely appalled with the wages. $25,000 a year? You make more doing housekeeping in a hotel. The training is also in Disneyworld, because they wish to offer Disney-like service. Not to mention the rouge “look” down to which nail polish you’re supposed to wear. It’s great that they’ll hire people with no experience, but they need to be making more than barely over the poverty line.
We just returned from Barcelona and I could not believe my eyes when I walked on the plane and could not see TV screens to watch a few movies for the 7.5 hour flight. Then I sat down and the seats were small and my legs were so cramped on my 5’10” frame!
Shame on Air Canada for this sneaky manoeuvre on long haul flights.
Our 45 minute connector from Montreal was a roomy Airbus! Go figure!
Fortunately I had an iPod and watched archaic reruns and played solitaire.The flight attendants were very nice but passengers were really frustrated . I will not fly air Canada again.
Just got off a 9 hour Rouge flight from Venice to Montreal. There were no international gates available. Waited about 40 minutes for the first transporter to arrive as we could not exit in the domestic section. Had to exit from the rear. The people who paid big money to sit up front waited over an hour to get off the plane. Flight attendants were too inexperienced to ask people who did not have a connection to step aside to allow people with connections to exit first.
Why did the pilot not wait a bit for an open gate?? This is usually the solution when this happens. I think there is a lot more to this story as the custom’s hall and the baggage claim area was not crowded.
Absolutley awful.
As a somewhat frequent flyer (Aeroplan 75k Elite), I usually try to book Air Canada or Star Allliance whenever possible. When planning my vacation, I accessed the aircanada.com to book return flights from Calgary to Halifax for my wife, my daughter and me. I booked return flights on AC as they were comparably priced to the Westjet alternative, not knowing that they were Air Canada Rouge flights. I didn’t notice the Rouge logo next to the flight number and I wouldn’t have understood its significance if I had.
It was with complete disbelief that we entered the cabin and took our seats. The Air Canada Rouge aircraft cabin was obviously not designed for normal sized people. I am not overly tall at 6 feet but there was no way to sit on that aircraft without my knees either jammed into the back of passenger in front of me or angled into the aisle. I chose the latter approach while passenger behind me chose the former.
This flight was possibly the most miserable 5 hours of my life. The only thing worse was knowing that I had to do it all over again in two weeks time on a longer flighter travelling east to west. Using a plane like that for a 5 hour flight is not just uncomfortable, it is inhumane.
On my return, I sent a note to Air Canada customer service relaying my experience. In response, I received a form letter saying how all airlines are cutting back and that if I want more room, I should book business class.
Next time, given the same choice, I’ll definitely fly WestJet.
Went to/from Toronto to Dublin on Air Canada Rouge and I will never do that again. I paid for preferred seat to have a little more room but felt very sorry for any tall person trying to seat on that plane.
Some of the staff were nice but one was rude to passengers.
Air Canada doesn’t seem to care about their customers and the complaints.
I will never do it again for an overseas flight either!
Rouge is my absolute last choice for flight, would even consider transat cuz at least you might get a deal. Im a 5’9″ female, the seat was too small. I flew with them when they first started, was shocked to see no in-seat entertainment when i got on the plane and asked why. They replied “Oh, this is Rouge”, with a smile and I had no idea i had just been rouged. Never never again.
well its much better than the virgin airlines Couse
there seats are 25 inch in width. but I flew the premium once and it was the best experience I have ever been on a plane
Have flown AC Rouge twice; both flight fine. (1) Athens to Montreal – booked as AC Premium Economy, changed to Premium Rouge. No complaints other than chaotic boarding in Athens. Crowded waiting room without gear to segregate Priority. (2) Palm Springs – Vancouver booked Economy but purchase a Preferred seat which was 1st in the economy section so got greater legroom (worth it).
Rouge has to be the worst flying experience that I have ever had. And I fly over 100K miles per year. The seats are cramped and unsafe. No entertainment. No comfort. No room. The service is non-existent.
Just when Air Canada had started to put together a decent product, they wreck the brand with Rouge. And they are rapidly converting most of their North American routes to Rouge. Time to start flying another, less scuzzy airline.
Obviously Calin Rovinescu, president of Air Canada, has never had to suffer through a Rouge flight. I am sure that he would have fired the idiots who dreamed Rouge up.
Bye bye Air Canada.
I have been flying air canada from Fort Lauderdale to Montreal 3 to 4 times a year for last 20 years and alwAys thaught the plane and service was great until a flew with rouge this December . Let’s put it that way I refuse to fly SPIRIT airline because of the lack of legs room , I am 6.3 . Well rouge made the same bad decision . The magazine rack in front of me has a metal rod that was sticking and applying pressure on my knees causing pain and discomfort . That should be outlaw . I was also served a soggy egg sandwich . The crew was nice and the plane very clean . But the lack of leg room will force me to find a alternative airline . I will file a formal complaint to air canada about the metal road in the magazine rack . There should another alternative
There is a difference between discomfort and pain. I am 6’5″ and Rouge seating is painful for me. I have now switched carriers.
Talk with your Purchases.
We’ve been flying to Caribbean for pass 8 yrs with AC Vacations for winter getaway from Northern BC. We’ve been touting AC Vacations for the service for years over other carriers. All airlines have complainants from varying persons, We’re all different in our needs and wants. After last yrs (Sardine Flights) connecting flights Santa Clara – Cuba, Toronto and back we’ve give up on Air Canada Vacations. Rouge should be called “Squeezed In Thar Air”. I’m 5.8″ 170lbs Small average Canadian. The 767 down was survivable. The 319 Back was unbearable. I email a review to AC and got a $100 voucher for this years vacation trip. Were booking WestJet instead. Looking last night at cost to go back to New Zealand for a late Winter getaway. Air New Zealand has been great but now connects with AC partner “Rouge” through Honolulu. We’re not taking that one but connecting with WestJet through LA. Talk with your Purchases.
K
They should rename it Air Canada Squeeze and call it what it is.
I flew with Rouge for the first time a month ago on my way to Cuba. I was surprised to learn that they do not give you any meals on board. I could care less about the entertainment since I always carry my own. What I hated was that my wife and I both got aisle seats. Funny enough, we just booked a flight to St. Maartin and again we got stuck with aisle seats instead of at least 1 window seat. This cannot be a coincidence. I’m currently waiting on the phone to complain about this. Thanks Johnny! My good friend Mike Hinshaw told me about your blog.
Mike’s the man!
i have been on air Canada rouge and it is the best flingt I have ever been on. the seats are so open and it is fun to have the ipad so you can put them anywhere and on that last thing the entire card was full exept for my name
You must be a small person (under 5’5″) if you think that this airline is the best thing, or you have never flown before….
You must indeed not be a tall person. I spent a full night traveling Montreal to Venice. I had to slide sideways into the seat and at no time could straighten my legs. Probably the worst seating position I could imagine for a 6′ guy
Just got back from Sarasota. Have to say that rouge was a one time experience that I will not do again. First off, the cost is too comparable to other carriers to warrant that seat configuration. If you are approaching 6 feet in height you will be constantly moving your knees to avoid getting a sore spot where the touch the seat in front. For good reason there is no tv in the seat in front of you. It is too close to be able to focus on it if you are older than 14. From my chin to the seat in front of me it was about 10 inches. The inflight entertainment was pathetic unless you are a fan of old movies like Rosemary’s Baby. I’m not kidding. Most of the movies are quite old and near as I can tell the only new movie was Room which didn’t appeal to me. It is a HUGE departure from Air Canada’s normal selection.
Anyway, cattle car took on a whole new meaning. I upgraded my seat to an emergency exit row for the return flight and have informed my travel agent that Rouge is no longer an option.
I understand they have Rouge flights to Europe!!! OMG.. I would have been livid to be trapped in that seat for 7+ hours. 3 hours was a violation of my human rights which seem to be suspended once on board Air Canada Rouge.
I’m heading back to Montreal from Europe in this nightmare… I will never fly rouge again…
Flew to Las vegas in the fall on rouge, and found the new seats that have solid sides very confining, also was in the middle seat of three and when persons beside me put their elbow on the arm rest, there was absolutely no room on the arm rest for my elbows which made the tight feeling worse. This was in the extra legroom seats near the front. I will completely avoid booking Air Canada from now on, and thankfully there is Westjet to choose . I hope Westjet doesn’t install those horrible ‘buckets’ they call ‘ seats’ .
Oh no! I had no idea. I am screwed. Already booked on PRG to YYZ on this Ruse, er I mean Rogue, no, damn auto-correct,…Rouge of an airline…Well. I’ll be sure to let you guys know what it was like… shudder.
I flew on one A319 back in 2014. In fact i bought my ticket for a regular Air Canada flight Toronto to Phenix. At the last minute AC changed planes without even advertising it to passengers. The flight was full and sitting in a very tight space for 4,5 hours wasnt really fantastic. If you have a choice to chose from i wouldnt recommend flying on Rouge A319. If you save on a ticket say 300 or 400- thats a different story
im goin on my trip to my Disney cruise in 2 weeks I will tell you how it goes. I had alredy gone premium and im doing it aigain cause its so fun
Frequent flyer from Montreal-Cancun here (for work). This flight is late 3 hours at least one per week. Record was 7 hours delay. Just looking at flight aware history you can see how terrible they are with schedules. Good thing I’ve no connections..
Unfortunately, it was my first time travelling on this airline and I was totally disgusted especially with the way Air Canada Rouge’s flight attendant handled my situation on 5/15/16 departing at 8:45am from Toronto to Nassau on flight AC 1816 seated at 12A. About 20 minutes into the flight I was awaken by a child directly behind me repeatedly kicking the back of my seat I tolerated this for about 30 minutes more hoping the parents of this child would get him to stop but it didn’t I sounded the bell for a flight attendant….politely I asked her “if she can ask the parent behind me to have the child stop kicking the back of my chair please?” She then replied “no I can not tell them that the only thing I can do is offer them a headset” I was like “pardon me” and she then repeated the same and walked away not even so much as acknowledging the scenery to the back of me. After the passenger next to me realized the flight attendant didn’t do anything she asked me “would you like me to speak to the family behind us” but I refused her offer.
After having to sit up straight without leaning to the back rest for the duration of the 3 hour flight into Nassau, Bahamas was the most miserable and frustrating flight I have ever encountered so aweful by the time I got home and took my pressure reading it was 160/98….I hate when I am put in a position to jeopardize my health and not being comfortable (frustrated) especially when I am paying my money.
I am a customer service representative and from experience I know this situation was not handle correctly therefore, for this I refuse to fly on Air Canada Rouge again.
Why didn’t you just turn around and tell the kid yourself to stop kicking your chair? Tell the parents (politely) that they need to get their child to stop kicking your chair. Don’t be so passive-aggressive about it.
I had a trip from Osaka to Vancouver last October (2015). I wish I had done my homework. Tight seats and my seat would not recline. I’ve never been on an international flight in recent decades that did not have an infotainment system. No charge points on an 11 hour flight with at tight and non reclining seat. The app I installed on my iPad would not work. I rented one of their iPads for $10. Crew was fine.
I wish I would of found this site before I booked with Air Canada. I’m 6’4 and husky. I didn’t get the extra leg room but bought an extra seat between my wife and myself. The people infront of me are going to hate me. We’re flying out of Calgary and heading to Las Vegas
Super Elite for over 10 years
I was a loyal AC customer and had a travel budget well over 50K per year. Never thought of using any other airline until I was underhandedly Rouged by AC. I have since never flown AC again (since the start of Rouge) and have given all my business to Westjet, who surprisingly gave me great service the first time I used them. Seats are comfortable and spacious. Never deceive a loyal customer, because once they’re gone…you’ve lost them forever.
Shit! Listening to all these negatives comments….Rouge must be this bad! I’m off to celebrate my 40th from YVR to LAS with 12 others….wish I knew this earlier. We fly Friday early morning. Let’s see how this plays out. I’ll comment when I get back but hopefully they’ve improved. Does anyone know if the serve alcohol for the 8 am flights? Thx in advance!
Flew YUL to LAS by AC Rouge May 22nd. Treated myself to an extra legroom exit row seat which set me back an extra $66. On the way back, had just an ordinary economy seat.
Was ticked off twice on the way down. When I went online to check in, the extra legroom seats were down to $60?? Why did I pay more when I booked it way ahead? And the girl and her boyfriend sitting next to me were assigned the seats on check in free of charge. Their lucky day, I guess.
On the way back May 29th, had a regular economy window seat. The lady in front of me decided to recline her seat to the max and I wasn’t even able to put my tray completely down after that. When it came time to fill out my Customs form, couldn’t even reach down to get my bag from under the seat to get a pen. Asked the lady politely if she could raise up her seat so I could get to my bag and her response was a grunt and a “Tabernac”.
The guy beside me in the middle seat was at least 6’2″ and he lasted about half the flight before he disappeared never to be seen again. Must have upgraded to first class… his knees in that seat were up around his chin.
First and last time flying AC Rouge!!!! I learned my lesson.
I’m very careful, when doing any research that I know if it’s a Rouge flight. Rouge is acting like a low cost carrier with the same pricing as Air Canada Regular or a minor difference in fares.
They must think we’re all stupid out here. I bet the CEO who approved this Rouge business, will never fly in Rouge and most likely got a big raise to boot !
As a Canuck, it’s embarrassing that something with the word Canada is so poorly thought of for the entire world to see and use.
Greed at it’s core.
Lastly, Air Canada 777-200, known as 77L, has now 10 seats across. A configuration of 3-4-3, where most airlines use common sense and have only 9 seats per row at 3-3-3. Good luck flying to Australia in a 10 seat configuration. Unbelievable. There should be a Flyers Rights Bill in Canada. Thank you for allowing me to rant.
Disgusting, been to canada 5 times in 3 years from London Heathrow to Canada. Booked in the usual way, the price was about $90 cheaper. I saw Canada Rouge, stupidly i thought it was rebranding as if you google it there is no mention of low cost airline. I then paid $180 for legroom
As soon as i got on the plan i thought this plane is old, looks tatty. Then noticed no entertainment system. Then i sat down, i thought there was a mistake, extra leg room, what a joke. 8 hours of discomfort. Arrive to complain to find no one wants to help, its all about referring me to customer services. Now i am due to fly back, im dreading it. Air canada, you can’t do business like that. I will look for alternatives to Air Canada in future, they will be a last resort option
Flew from YUL to CUN so only about a 4h flight. I concur with most reviews just an awful plane configuration (A319), the seat are so freakin tight, never seen this in all my years of travel. Seat are in cheap polyester. No entertainment system is BS and making us download the app is completely cheasy. Everything is extra, ipad 10 bucks? No thanks! Luggage: no where in my purchase confirmation did it say it was $25 per luggage (not even the 1st one for free). They waived it in MTL cause the lady had a sense of decency but in Mexico he did not want to put the luggage on the plane unless I paid. He said AC would make him pay personally if he doesn’t charge me and that he had this discussion about 20-30 times per week because customers are not informed of the charge ahead of time. So be mindful when you see the price and add $25 per piece (as of june 2016, I’m sure it’ll go up). Food prices are a rip off for the bad quality it is.
The only good thing was the crew, super nice and customer oriented. Unlike management.
I will do everything I can do avoid rouge in the future. And if you’re debating and the pricing is close do not book rouge, classless airline (except crew).
Fly from London to Toronto and Vancouver couple of times a year…. To say that AC Rouge is a “cheap airline” is simply untrue…. I am constantly checking flight prices…. AT have the best prices and you can often get a “special offer” price…. the seats/leg room/in flight entertainment/meals are ok and exactly what you would expect AND at no extra charge! The AC Rouge sounds like a complete customer rip-off. Shame on you AC.
Did not know that the flight from Barcelona to Toronto was Air Canada Rouge. No mention of this “Rouge” in the original booking / ticketing!
This was the worst flight ever! We have logged 100s of thousands of miles in the past and when I say worst flight ever I mean it.
No in-flight entertainment for a 9 hr flight, no way to charge your devices – who has a plane today with no electrical outlets???
They make you buy those crappy snacks and they even charged for blankets!!
Air Canada rouge offers a complimentary meal and a light snack prior to arrival. For entertainment, you can stream it from your device for free. Simply download the AC app on your ipad, iphone, android, etc. You can also use your laptop but make sure the flash player is up to date. As for charging for blankets? Each passenger has a free pillow and blanket for the flight. You shouldn’t say false things. Under the seat in front of you there is an electrical outlet on 767 (the aircraft used for european flights). Are you sure you didn’t fly on Air Zimbabwe or you confused the two/facts.
We’re going from Toronto to Curacao in September for our 25th. Is our trip going to be a bust because of flying Rouge economy? Thanks.
Just flew to Costa Rica on Rouge. Horrible experience! The plane was so cold some people had on parka’s! Remember, this is a flight from Toronto to Costa Rica in August! (I don’t know where they got North Face jackets from, maybe they’ve been Rouged before.) I was lucky enough to buy a blanket before they sold out. Was still freezing. I couldn’t even hold a book to read it was so cold. Also the in flight entertainment sucks. I had my IPad and had the option of watching old movies like “Field of Dreams”. Is this 1991?
However, if you rented their IPads you could watch more current movies. Keep in mind there aren’t enough IPads for everyone on the plane.
The power outlet in my seating area didn’t work, so couldn’t keep electronics charger either.
Would definetly never fly this airline again…
Unfortunately for me I have to get on the plane again tomorrow to fly home… Wish me luck!
Thought I had booked return transatlantic flights with United but turned out the homeward bound flights were code share with Air Canada which turned out to be Rouge. NEVER AGAIN. Spent hours on the phone the night before sorting out the fact they had changed all the coding and trying to ensure I had a veggie meal. Trying to check in at Atlanta and no one knew where I should go, went to all three terminals and finally United sent me back to the first one I went to (No one seems to want Rouge). Cut to the actual flights. Atlanta to Toronto ok although I have to say the staff were a little surly. Toronto to Manchester UK …. horrid. Not since the 1970’s have I been on such a basic flight. No entertainment – not even music. Nobody mentioned any rental of ipads and even though I had my ipad with me no one had mentioned downloading any apps. In the 70’s when I flew with such basic facilities I at least had the fun as a child chatting to the stewards and visiting the flight deck. The stewards couldn’t give a darn about the passengers, there was a family near me who could easily have been moved to ensure they were together but they didn’t help them at all. The meal I had fought hard to get did not arrive and I was made to feel like a thorough pest when I twice requested it. They finally offered me someone else’s veggie meal they had refused (????) and I was sick for two days afterwards.
I didn’t know I was booking Air Canada rouge or whatever it is called but in future I will double/triple check any code shares.
Never ever again
Booked/Paid for Air Canada. Got Rouged from Toronto to San Diego. The attendants were extremely nice, but those planes are ridiculously cramped. I am 5’2 and my legs hurt. My friend is over 6′ and had to take over the last row because there was no way she could sit for 5+ hours with no legroom. The plane rattled intensely. It was such a terrible, anxiety-inducing experience and I am doing all I can (multiple stops/driving to different airports) to ensure I never have to fly with them again.
Anyone tried to upgrade to Rouge Premium? Is it worth it?
I recently flew 2 Air Canada Rouge flights, about 5 hours each way. My main complaint is I paid what I would have paid to fly Air Canada, but got absolutely none of the amenities. And thank god the person in front of me didn’t recline, because I swear my nose would have been hit by their seat. And by the end of my flight, my tailbone was sore as hell from those seats. Next time, I won’t even look at Air Canada, since my only option from where I’m at is Rouge. Either drop the price (which they won’t do, since the flight was packed), or give away those iPads for FREE. Never flying them again.
Absolutely the worst airline period- and I have travelled all over the world. Recent flight to Poland. Paid to upgrade my seat- got a bulkhead seat with less legroom ( if you can believe this is possible) than a normal economy seat. Seat was beside door and absolutely freezing cold- I had 5 blankets covering me, was not sick, spend most of my life playing in hockey rinks and snowmobiling- I have never been so cold. Flight attendant says this is a regular complaint and airline is not doing anything about this. Sent in complaint letter and after three weeks got response saying that they have to cut back or cancel routes. Cutting back at the expense of a customers health should not be an option. Ever tried to call and speak to someone about your issue- good luck with Rouge/Air Canada. And no TV or free drinks for international long haul- c’mon Rouge- you do not deserve to use the name Canada. Bloody disgrace!
Wow most painful flight ever, I feel I was duped,!I never thought A.C. could sink this low! I would not pay 5o % less for this flight, well if it was a 2 hours flight.I will never fly A.C. again and will definitely sell my return ticket at a lost.
Going to South America with a non-AC airline in 2 weeks. Booked in July, and the first leg of the trip is codeshared with Air Canada. At the time we booked it was an Air Canada flight, but has since morphed into a Rouge flight. If I hadn’t stumbled across this by accident a couple of weeks, we wouldn’t have known until we got to the airport. And then would we have known that you have to download their entertainment system app in advance? They didn’t inform our travel agent. Feels pretty awful booking one thing and getting another and having no recourse. We could cancel, but it would cost a pile to do so. If we’d known it was going to be Rouge we would have made another plan. Hoping to book Preferred seats, and that it won’t be too awful. We’re holding off booking the Preferred seats, as have been told since it’s codeshared, if we had to cancel or even if they cancelled or changed the flights we wouldn’t get our money back for the seats! That’s just robbery if they cancel! Wouldn’t put it past them to do that just to keep our money, given their sneaky ways so far.
Avoid Air Canada Rouge.
My worst flying experience ever due to the incredibly cramped seats (I’m 5ft 10″), no complementary food despite a 5+ hr fight time and no personal TV screens.
The cramped seats was the biggest killer.
Air Canada execs: when you decide to add 4+ extra rows to increase revenue per flight think about the long term implications too. It makes for a terrible flying experience and I like many Rouge customers will never fly Rouge again.
We have been Rouged for a second time (booked regular upcoming A/C flight to Mexico and now switched to Rouge without consent).
This is the final time, as we will no longer consider or book Air Canada for our annual winter vacation. Or for other destinations come to that.
If you pay A/C tariffs – you should get A/C service. Then again, perhaps Rouge represents what A/C is really all about.
I will not fly Air Canada again after being deceived with Rouge what a disgraced and price grab.
I have flown on Rouge twice now and shall not fly on them again. My husband who is 6 foot 3 has stayed home than fly Rouge. If a meeting requires him to fly Rouge to get there he teleconferences. Air Canada should be ashamed of itself. These flights discriminate against Tall people and Frankly our population is taller than previous generations so why decrease the leg room except for a money grab. News to you at Air Canada. Fuel is cheaper now than it was 5 years ago. Prices should be cheaper….without the need of making everyone on the plane suffer from lack of space. A real shame. Air Canada. Used to be a good airline.
My wife and I just returned from Vegas 2 weeks ago. After my last trip on Rouge I decided to spend $200 more for the two of us to be in preferred seats there and back. This was a good choice and the seats were far more spacious than economy which is really a joke unless you are very small.
My brother and I are back to Vegas March 24 on Rouge again…he generously paid for Business class seats so we should have a decent trip but the cost is ridiculous almost 2x the cost of economy seats. Air Canada Rouge is a sad excuse for an airline and unless you have deep pockets to upgrade your seat I would recommend another airline.
Our family flew 23 people to Houston in January to go on a 45th anniversary cruise out of Galveston. Our agent tried booking through AC and got nothing but grief so we switched to United. They seated us together and allowed several changes without additional fees. The best part were the seats they were comfortable and roomy…AC could learn a lot from United.
Rouge sucks beyond belief. A 9 hour flight back from Maui to Toronto and they have the NERVE to try and SELL you “ipads” for rent or “snacks” for 8$.
Ridiculous that flight attendants are now salespeople to try and rack some profits.
NO BLOODY MEAL ON A 9 HOUR FLIGHT………… NOT EVEN F$(*@#& PEANUTS………..
Rouge can go to hell, the only reason we took it is Air Canada Shafted us. It said “air canada” on the flight purchase but at the airport it said Rouge. NICE!!!!!!! F&!@# you Both.
what a deceiving scam ,overpaid for A.C got my first and last horrible flight, flight attendants were not helpful playing some game on the laptop they told me they were out of.. worst 7 hours of my life,.. big embarrassment to Canada and air canada
I’m seeing ROUGE after our 8 hour flight to PERU. No entertainment system, not even headphone plugin. NO personal air control. Broken armrest and worst of all the LOUDEST flight I have ever been on. My ears were still ringing a day later. How old was this thing? NEVER AGAIN GETTING ROUGED.
Rouge is ok for some people and some flights. I found the service to be good from the flight attendants, and these are very young people who are forced to work all the time. They may be part of the union but part of a very different agreement. Probably a lot of these flight attendants won’t realize what they got themselves into working in these god awful conditions and they, literally, themselves are ROUGED by Air Canada.
All the new routes posted by Air Canada are ROUGE flights using 30 year old planes. As a fact you will have a sore back (even my teen children) for a flight over 3 hours.
My flight Calgary – Halifax. The interior of the aircraft could do with 20 fewer passengers. I am only 5’2″ and I was cramped. There was insufficient space on the tray for my laptop to fully open. No chargers when requesting passengers to use their own device to view movies. Seriously!!
I dropped a pen and had to close my laptop, store my tray, unbuckle and bend sideways in order to pick it up.
Nice for them that they are economizing.
I booked a direct Aeroplan flight 2 months ago, same cities and was switched to a Rouge flight.
Not looking forward to 5 hours in a 3×2 space…….oh well, perhaps they will bump me because they decide they do not like my VISA this month.
Bring on WestJet.
Wow… I should have read the comments before I bought my ticket! Someone mentioned that they don’t use the Rouge for longer than 5 hour trip but in my confirmation email it says I will have to fly on a Rouge from Budapest to Toronto which is almost a 10 hour flight!!! How am I gonna survive that???
Never written a critical comment before. Been flying commercial coach for years and never had a problem with seating space. I’m 5’11”. Took a Rouge flight to Vegas from Toronto. The lack of space was unbelievable.
Came back to Toronto on regular Air Canada, much better space seating in coach. Rouge has gone too far in it’s seat configuration. The result is that they have lost my business, regardless of any price offered.
That’s some business model, alienate customers and drive them away by not providing basic level of comfort.
I recently booked flights to Canada and within and then onto Las Vegas and return to Manchester. At no point during booking was the name Rouge quoted on any paperwork. I reserved seats based on the AC setup. It was only when I boarded the plane that I realised that My reserved row was in a different position the position I had requested. I then realised that this plane had more rows and less leg room. Then I saw the name Rouge, this clearly is AC’s budjet airline but at no time was I ever informed that that was what I had booked.Not impressed. All 5 flights were pushed back at least 30mins late twice due to the fact that they could not start the engines. I thought the overall service was poor including the quality of the food.
I had a connecting flight from Vegas to Toronto and on to Manchester, the Vegas flight was pushed back 45 mins late due to not being able to start the engines and had to have all 4 doors opened to try to cool the passengers as the aircon could not operate without engine power. We arrived in Toronto 45 mins late and had it not been for the late departure of the Manchester flight (1 hr) I would have had to spend the day in Toronto.
Over all Iam not a happy bunny and if I ever go to Canada again I would choose another carrier.
I Booked Air Canada going and Lufthansa returning. from Ireland. I got Neither. ‘Rouge’ was the colour of my Face also. So disgusted. a really old Aircraft. I Felt Ripped off. This is Fraud However you put it. I Don’t want to Fly Air Canada Again!
I checked in with Air Canada. The first time gives me wrong ticket with other people’s name. The second time separate me with my boyfriend few rolls. The third time yelled at us. YELLED AT US BECAUSE WE WANT TWO SEAT TOGETHER!
Thanks for all your comments! I was ready to book a flight to Eastern Europe on AC Rouge, but will now never go near this airline or even Air Canada again. Usually when one reads reviews there is a split between good and bad; but these are uniformly bad. I cannot believe AC management has not done something about this, so I must assume that despite all the complaining people are still flying Rouge and the money numbers look good. Therefore, AC management has chosen to ignore the complaints as they laugh all the way to the bank. What does this say about the flying public who continue to put up with this?
It seems that they accomplish this by hiding the fact that you are going to get Rouge service. At no point was Rouge called out on my flight booking. I thought nothing of it. It looked like an AC flight. Now I am dreading this flight even though I paid quite a few $CAD more to get the Plus seating with more legroom. My wife is going to be miserable and I know I’ll hear about it for at least a few days in Europe.
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I’m taking Rouge for a flight to Lima and i am not excited at all but had no choice as it was the only direct flight!
After having read about the constricted seating in the economy throughout the comments, it appears the fix is to pay more. MORE revenue is what AC Rouge and other airlines execs are after. AC Rouge will be using these old planes for the most profit as they literally squeeze it out us!
By the way, my economy seat is waiting.
How do AC get away with this bait and switch to Rouge people? I have been Rouged on my last three trips, usually just on my connections out of YYZ. Android app wouldn’t work on my Samsung phone nor on my Surface Pro tablet, terrible seats, tight quarters. I was Super Elite for many years and just returned to travelling often this year…garbage product this Rouge airline.
AC Rouge us the worst airlines to fly with, dirty old planes, substandard service. It’s a shame!
i must agree with all of the above. I travel with Aeroplan who uses Rouge for most flights to Costa Rica and Europe. Cheaper and better to buy a full ticket with Air Transat to Europe. I used spanish airlines for Costa Rica and they were better. Aeroplan now suffering huge and for good reason as they had awful service and because of Rouge!!!! Awful. I must fly with them to CR in a couple of weeks and used a bunch of my points for business class which will just be ok. Number one peev–NO IN SEAT ENTERTAINMENT!!!!! WHO WANTS AN IPAD OR TRAY OPEN ON FULL FLIGHT—pathetic…
and all this to save pennies on ‘weight of plane which determines cost of fuel–listen to your customers. hope u go broke!!!!
Air canada freaking stinks! More like air canadumb!
We flew Air Canada from Toronto to London two years ago and had a great flight. It wasn’t until after I booked our flights to Manchester for our trip in Sep. that I realized our reservation is with AC Rouge. I’ll admit I’m a little scared after reading all of these bad reviews. However, I now know to bring tablets for everyone and to download the app beforehand. Although, this may be better for my kids overall we shall see. It will be an evening flight so hopefully our kids will sleep.
Don´t you complain about AC mainline flying six hours flights on a B737?. That´s cruelty, and not a B767 crossing the Atlantic, whatever tights the seats are.
Worst flights ever. Booked AC got AC for the short 40min connection and Rouge for the 4hr flight. Walked into the cabin and thought I had traveled back in time. At 5’9 I was stuck sitting back arched to get the most knee room and still couldn’t avoid my knees crammed up against the back of the seat in front of me. Return flight was exactly the same. I don’t care for ‘comforts’ like charging my phone, or entertainment, but these cabins don’t even have basics like room for average size people, or seating positions that don’t fuck you up. Never again. Ever. Its not worth booking with AC and chancing a Rouge flight. There’s better options for the $.
Flew air canada rouge very recently, first long haul I’ve ever been on with no inflight screens!!!! Also had no warning at all to download the app, so sat in an uncomfortable chair on a full flight for 9 hours very unhappy. They took a very long time to feed us (at least 2 hours into the flight), then did not collect our trays or rubbish until at least 4 hours after, and as this was an overnight flight we had to try sleep with our tray tables down as there was no place to put the rubbish, some tried handing it to air hostesses who told them ‘we cannot take this just now please wait until we come to collect it’. Made no sense to me & was an unpleasant experience
I am flying Vancouver to Osaka, `12 hour flight. I am flying economy. Do you remember if there are plugs for iPads? Also was there overhead air vents? I am having problems trying to find out.
We have a flight booked from Budapest Hungary to Toronto on October 5, 2018. We have paid hundreds of dollars for “extra seating”. What kind of seating can we expect ?
This https://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Air_Canada/Air_Canada_Rouge_Boeing_767-300ER_new.php
I hate rouge
Worst airline in the world! Hate hate hate it
Nothing worse than flying rouge
Even air transat is better
I flew from Calgary to Luna on Rouge. I absolutely hated everything about it. The plane was old and noisy, and wasn’t very clean. The seats were uncomfortable, the food was bland. Take my advice. Avoid Rouge at all costs, because the cost isn’t worth it.
I was very apprehensive and worried about flying with Rouge after reading numerous comments and reviews, especially since it would be my first experience with this airline. So I was prepared for the absolute worst, reminding myself that it would simply be a means of transportation to get me to my destination (767-300, Toronto to Las Vegas). I was pleasantly surprised! The crews (there and back) were awesome – friendly, in a good mood, accommodating, helpful and responsive. Were the seats tight? Yes – but we also flew Air Canada Jazz Express, and THOSE seats lacked room (plus, that plane is very loud!). We needed to get up and walk around a bit, but I was expecting much worse. My only issue? The onboard media player. My husband and I both followed the directions to a “T”, and none of our devices would work. So, not being prepared for that made for a long flight (we read our books instead, and tried to sleep… but oh well). So, I would recommend having a back-up plan (i.e.: previously downloaded shows or movies to watch) in case the “Rouge Player” doesn’t work for others as well. Definitely worth the savings for us, and we would fly with them again in the future!
My mom and I are the same size 5″2 …. we flew w my lilttle one 3 yo to YUL – ATH, worst FLIGTH EVER!!! i am 5’2 and i couldnt even get into my seat properly bc there was no space to shimmy my way in!! the seat was perfect for my 3yo…. my mom and I hated it. We will not fly AC, for fear of ending up in ROUGE , ever again.
I am gutted, i have just booked to fly with this air-line, and now reading the comments, i am simply very scared. I was talked out of booking with Norwegian airlines by the agent, and then he still managed to increase my price by offering the extra day, which i could not access on the other airline. But now i read i will be limited on 7kg carry-on, when it is 10k on Norwegian, and it now seems there are no meals, which you just expect to get on long-haul. And i ended up with a stop-over which i also did not want, at least the other one was direct to. Now to see the very limited seating room, i am just so worried. The worst thing ever is that there is way to change, or refund,
Boy am I not jappy. Thought I was booking United Airlines but now end up with Air Canada Rouge? Horrible and not lookig forward to a 5hr flight crammed in my seat with no entertainment or meal. I would lose all my money on 2 fares if cancelled. Can’t afford that . Never again
Fooled me once. Will be telling everyone I know about this scam of and airline.
Air Canada has damaged their brand very seriously by associating the name with Rouge. The main Air Canada flights are fine, but I will not book with AC again because of the risk of the flight being operated by Rouge. I feel leery of the whole Star Alliance for the same reason, so try to avoid it, too. I have flown multiple airlines on five continents, and Rouge is one of the worst.
Hi i am 6,3” and I just flew 8.5 hrs from Toronto to Zagreb on rouge and it was a tight fit but at least the flight was on time I upgraded to the premium seat for the return trip for 100.00 cdn because that flight is over 9.5hrs.
I AM VERY CONCERNED. MY HUSBAND AND I ARE FLYING VANCOUVER TO HONOLULU ON ROUGE 763 AIRCRAFT. AFTER READING ALL OF THE BAD REVIEWS I WISH I WOULD HAVE NOT BOOKED BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT IS TOO LATE. I’M PAST THE 24-HOUR WINDOW. CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF THERE ARE SEATS ON THIS AIRCRAFT THAT WOULD BE RECOMMENDED THAT WOULD HAVE EXTRA LEG ROOM. I’VE READ THAT SEATS 27 A & C ARE NOT RECOMMENDED. MY HUSBAND IS 6’2. I KNOW WE CAN UPGRADE TO THE BUSINESS CLASS BUT THAT IS AN EXTRA $900 PER PERSON.
Last week my daughter and I flew AC Rouge from Budapest time to Toronto. My daughter was sick so we up-graded to premium so she could be more comfortable. We were shocked at both the cost to up-grade (over $5000) and the condition of the aircraft. Not only was it old and shabby and the washroom wasn’t clean, it was freezing. The thin little blanket was no help.
Immediately after take-off, when our ears were plugged, the attendant came to take orders. We couldn’t hear him and asked if it was for beverages and he said yes. I didn’t want one but my daughter ordered one. Later on we realized everyone but us was eating. We asked another attendant when we would get our meals and were told we didn’t ask for any. I have diet restrictions and could only eat the chicken which they were out of. The attendant kindly offered me hers but I would have to wait 30 minutes. I did finally get meal.
During the 8+ hr flight beverages were served twice in our section while the attendants in economy were constantly coming up for more water, tea, coffee and pop.
The only positives were the larger seats and more leg room than in economy. Needless to say, we are never ever flying Rouge again.
Avoid
– uncomfortable
– usually delayed
overvalue
Crappy airline, crappy experience, delays both ways stuck on the ramp in their shitty overpacked aircraft. No legroom, no entertainment. Firgging annoying French announcements. I hate being treated like crap.
What does it mean if someone is Rogue?
1. : a dishonest or worthless person : scoundrel. : a mischievous person : scamp. 3. : vagrant, tramp.